Mailbox mounting device



Sept. 9, 1969 c. F. BLOCK MAILBOX MOUNTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31, 1967 mvswfon CHARLES E BLOCK United States Patent 3,465,994 MAILBOX MOUNTING DEVICE Charles F. Block, 7881 Lewiston Road, Batavia, N.Y. 14020 Filed Jan. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 619,492 Int. Cl. A47f 5/02 US. Cl. 248-130 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved mailbox mounting device for roadside use which comprises a mounting post, a pivot block rotatably carried by said post for movement in a horizontal plane, a supporting bar pivotally carried by said pivot block and having on its outer end means for mounting a mailbox thereon, and detent means secured to the post for releasably holding said arm projecting toward the road.

Background of the invention This invention relates to rural mailboxes which are commonly mounted on posts located along the roadside. As is evidenced by US. Patent No. 759,437, a problem with such mailboxes has existed for many years. Because of their location adjacent the road, such mailboxes are subjected to being struck by vehicles moving along the road, such as snow-plows, with consequent damage.

Summary of the invention The above-mentioned problem is solved according to the present invention in a novel and effective way of providing an improved mailbox mounting device which is normally releasably latched or held in fixed position with the mailbox carried thereby projecting toward the road but which can be moved manually or by impact or pressure against the box to a rotated position in which the mailbox is shifted away from the road.

Description of the drawing The single figure of the drawing depicts one embodiment of the invention in a perspective view.

Description of a preferred embodiment As shown in the drawing, the improved mailbox mounting of the present invention comprises a mounting post 11, supporting bar or arm 13, and a mounting plate 15. The mounting plate 15 is rigidly attached to the outer end of the supporting bar 13 and is provided with a plurality of holes 17 for reception of means, such as bolts, for mounting a conventional rural mailbox thereon. Adjacent its other end, the supporting bar 13 is pivotally supported 3,465,994 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 As mentioned above, the supporting bar 13 is pivotally supported on the pivot block 19. The latter is channelshaped, the two upwardly projecting flanges 25 thereof providing a guide for the bar or arm 13. Each of the flanges 25 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes or perforations 27 and 29, the holes in each flange being aligned with those in the other flange. A hinge pin such as, for example, bolt 31 is provided for pivotally mounting the supporting arm or bar 13 in the channelshaped pivot block 19, the bolt passing through another pair of aligned holes in the flanges 25, these holes being longitudinally spaced from the holes 19 but not shown in the drawing, and through a hole (not shown) extending transversely through the bar 13 adjacent that end of the bar which is distant from the plate 15.

To maintain the mailbox carried by the plate 15 releasably in position a detent or latching device is provided. This comprises a bifurcated, fork-like bracket member 33 attached to the post 11 adjacent the upper end of the latter. The member 33 extends upwardly and somewhat outwardly from the post 11 and is notched at its upper end to provide a pair of fingers 35 divergently arranged at an angle of about 45 to the vertical and spaced apart sufficiently as to receive the bar or arm 13 therebetween.

To install the novel mailbox post of the present invention the post 11 is rigidly mounted upright in the ground at the side of the road with the bifurcated bracket member 33 facing the highway. Then the pivot block 19 is mounted on the post 11 by the attached pivot post 21 with the channel of the block extending away from the member 33. The supporting bar or arm 13 is then pivotally mounted on the block 19 by inserting the bolt 31 through the arm and one of the pairs of aligned holes in the flanges 25 and the arm 13 is swung horizontally so that it extends toward the road with the arm being held by gravity in the notch formed between the fingers 35. The mailbox can be secured to the plate 15 before or after the arm 13 is mounted on the pivot block 19.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a mailbox so mounted will be less likely to be damaged by passing vehicles than a conventional, rigidly mounted box. This results from the fact that a vehicle striking the box will cause the supporting bar 13 to move up the incline of one of the fingers 35 and then swing around to clear the road shoulder. The weight of the box and arm hold the arm engaged in the detent under normal conditions. Adjustment can be made, if desired, to provide more resistance to displacement of the arm, by insertion of the hinge pin in aligned holes 27 or 29.

It will also be observed that, if desired, the mailbox and arm may be conveniently swung manually out of normal position thereby providing clearance when it is desired to clear snow or mow grass around the post. To replace the box in normal position it is only necessray to swing the arm around and replace the arm in the detent. Important features of the invention are that the supporting arm is held firmly in place until the box is struck by a vehicle or the arm is manually lifted from the detent and that, once the arm is released from the detent, it may swing freely and remain in a position clear of the road. References Cited I claim:

1. An improved mailbox mounting device for road- UNITED STATES PATENTS side use which comprises: a mounting post adapted to be 857,234 6/1907 Gedqes 248124 XR mounted rigidly in the ground; a pivot block having a 1,053,835 2/1913 Larkm 248 145 depending pivot post rotatably carried by said mounting 5 2,054,281 9/1936 Chauncey 248-145 3,083,292 3/1963 Roe et a1. 248-298 XR post, said pivot block comprising a channel section the flanges of which are provided with a plurality of spaced pairs of aligned holes; a supporting bar, having on its outer FRANCIS ZUGEL Pnmary Exammer end means for securing a mailbox thereto, mounted in said 10 U S C1 X R channel by a hinge pin extending through one of said pairs of aligned holes; and detent means carried by said 232-39; 243 145 mounting post comprising a pair of divergently arranged fingers releasably engaged by said bar. 

